An Apple fan who is hugely disappointed in the "great" Apple

[DewGuy1999]

Update. Just went to apple store. The manager told me they don't know what the status is or where my laptop is. She said that she has sent some emails to apple to try and find out where it's at or a tracking number. This is 2 weeks after I dropped it off or 10 business days. Apples customer service blows.

I know a few of you fanboys will blindy argue this and while I know an experience like my will wake you up I hope you never have this happen to you.

Apple has been getting really cocky lately and I hope some companies humble it! This is coming from an ex-fanboy who preordered the iPhone, has the iPad, airport, MacBook Pro.

I feel for you, but, for every story like yours there's at least one or more that are at the opposite end of the spectrum as far as Apple Support and their level of service. Since your MBP was a CTO, I'm sure that complicates the replacement process, but hang in there!

Did you try the advice in my earlier message:

Try calling Apple at the 1-800-275-2273 (U.S.) and asking for Customer Relations, tell them your tale and see if they can give you a better answer, or maybe do something to make it right.

 

[section31]

Update. Just went to apple store. The manager told me they don't know what the status is or where my laptop is. She said that she has sent some emails to apple to try and find out where it's at or a tracking number. This is 2 weeks after I dropped it off or 10 business days. Apples customer service blows.

I know a few of you fanboys will blindy argue this and while I know an experience like my will wake you up I hope you never have this happen to you.

Apple has been getting really cocky lately and I hope some companies humble it! This is coming from an ex-fanboy who preordered the iPhone, has the iPad, airport, MacBook Pro.

Just an update. I posted earlier in the thread that I placed my order last Friday (CTO Hi-res, 7200 HDD) and received it a day earlier than expected. The delay is not related to the CTO options.

I can feel your frustration as I've been in that position with other companies but it's something that one doesn't expect from Apple. I can't help to think that the blind fanboy-ism has contributed to this in this problem; Apple realizes that they have a huge rabid fanbase who will buy their products regardless. My personal experience is that Apple's customer service has diminished quite a bit from the past. Definitely better than their competitors but not what it used to be. I believe the same can be said of their build quality.

All I can suggest is to let Customer Service know about it (repeatedly) until you're satisfied.

Don't forget to keep this experience in mind when it comes time for a new purchase.

 

[armadiljo]

I'm everything but a apple-fan (just because I don't really care about that) but do/did own quite some laptops and iPods for the last 6 years.

I'm afraid Apple IS a normal company, they do care about getting and keeping customers, and they even care much more about their profit-margin. Cust. care is quite ok, better than some other companies, worse than others. I have the idea that the quality on how people's needs are taken care of, depends on who (as a customer-care or salesperson) can/will help you.

Old Macbook: great support within my first year of warranty, no need of customer care until I replaced it.
New Macbook: never had any problems with it. Hardware upgrades were really well taken care of.
2008-Macbook Pro: problems all the time, nobody seems to take care of them. Worst experience: faulty disk drive couldn't be repaired/replaced without charge, because my warranty-period ended on a sunday, it was saturday but they couldn't ship it to repair before monday...
iPod: I've had one faulty/bad iPod, and they did replace 'm but it took a month.
New iPod: works great for over 1,5 years.

...

 

[TheBritishBloke]

Dude.. I didn't have my MBP for a month in just one repair, and then it took 6 months of repairs for them to replace my MBP.. consider yourself lucky. Be patient...

 

[diablo2112]

Just an update. I posted earlier in the thread that I placed my order last Friday (CTO Hi-res, 7200 HDD) and received it a day earlier than expected. The delay is not related to the CTO options.

Not necessarily true. My guess is replacment units are refurbish stock, not NIB. As such, they may come from a different supplier. Delivery time on an NOS order may not be the same as a replacement/refurb.

 

[pjcforpres2020]

It could be a lot of things... likely, if Apple is like every other company in the world, the store inspects the item, then sends it off to a warehouse that does the actual final inspection... until they do their inspection to make sure it isn't a physical or water damage issue, they won't place the order for the new replacement laptop. If you Apple store sat on the computer for a week, or so, waiting for a larger shipment (to save money), and so forth, well it will take longer. In general, it takes 3 weeks from the day shipped for the item to be inspected and either repaired or a replacement order put into the system...

There is also the in store swap option, where the store is willing to bank that there is no physical or water damage, however when you take that option you do agree to that if they determine down the line it was physical or water damage, you will reimburse Apple for the cost of repairs/ a flat rate for the computer, typically inventory cost of the computer (ie, a $1800 computer with an inventory cost of $1100, you would end up paying $1100)

 

[RedRaven571]

Hey SJ27CAL! What happened? Did your replacement ever show up?

Just curious since it's been 10 days since your last post.....

 

[Stormz]

Update. Just went to apple store. The manager told me they don't know what the status is or where my laptop is. She said that she has sent some emails to apple to try and find out where it's at or a tracking number. This is 2 weeks after I dropped it off or 10 business days. Apples customer service blows.

I know a few of you fanboys will blindy argue this and while I know an experience like my will wake you up I hope you never have this happen to you.

Apple has been getting really cocky lately and I hope some companies humble it! This is coming from an ex-fanboy who preordered the iPhone, has the iPad, airport, MacBook Pro.

I'd be mad if I was in your shoes. But I'd also try to keep reminding myself that this incident could just be one of the exceptions rather than the norm. I had my new Mac go wrong within a week of owning it. I had to send it back in the post and they sent a new one out to me as a priority customer. The new one arrived in 5 business days. I agree with you that Apple have been getting cocky lately on all sorts of issues, but if you want to judge their customer service, I'd try to cast the net wider than a single incident.

 

[SJ27CAL]

Hey SJ27CAL! What happened? Did your replacement ever show up?

Just curious since it's been 10 days since your last post.....

Thanks for the question. They got it in July 3rd. I took it home, backed up from Time Machine and went to settings and saw that "automatically switch graphics card" was on. I presume this is how it is when its installed fresh? Someone correct me if I'm wrong. Anyways, 2 hours into using it, same issues. I take it back. They told me they will call me tomorrow after they inspect it.

Next day they call as promised, they told me its ready for pickup. I talked to the tech, he told me that the issue is a corrupt Time Machine backup. At the store I thank him for the help but I'm a little skeptical. When I get home, everything was wiped and installed fresh again. The tech did log in and make an account for me. First thing I went to go and check was that "automatic graphic switching" was turned off.

My theory or guess is that "automatic graphics switching" does not work properly yet and is buggy and when I switch from app to app fast and it forces the computer to keep switching graphic cards, it will eventually hick up, freeze and boot up in black and white lines or distorted screen with the cursor working perfectly.

I have not changed any setting and I have only copied data manually from my Time Machine. So far it works great but I do not feel as confident with this Mac as I did with my previous 13".

I would like to hear people's thoughts on if its my Time Machine backup which got corrupted or if its the "automatic graphics feature" which just came out.

I'd be mad if I was in your shoes. But I'd also try to keep reminding myself that this incident could just be one of the exceptions rather than the norm. I had my new Mac go wrong within a week of owning it. I had to send it back in the post and they sent a new one out to me as a priority customer. The new one arrived in 5 business days. I agree with you that Apple have been getting cocky lately on all sorts of issues, but if you want to judge their customer service, I'd try to cast the net wider than a single incident.

You have a valid point.

 

[TrojanX]

I completely understand your frustration but we can not all expect instant gratification! I would have probably mad and it is easy for someone to judge a persons reaction as impatient if it is not happening to them. With that being said I am going to offer my opinion!

1. I have heard alot of problems and bugs exist with the graphic switching thing and also I have heard that Time Machine can get corrupted files if an error happens ect. which can cause many hiccups and failures. So yes to both of you things. I personally went with the 13", maybe irrationaly, partly because I have heard alot of bad issues with the I5 and gpu switching.

2. Take the Genius' advice! I have a friend who is in training to become one and he is on his 5th month of training and only just recently started working in the store (as a floor associate to properly learn how to deal with people and demo products) and soon will transition to shadowing other Geniuses. These people know what they are doing and are not called Geniuses for nothing!! I would suggest to, once you system is stable, wipe you TM just to be sure!

3. Compare there customer service to Best Buy's or any other store! I have had to send my toshiba back for repair hundreds of times because, in blunt terms, it is junk. Each time I have had as short of turnaround as 3 weeks (I was lucky!!) and as long as 1.5 MONTHS!!! That was with Best Buy who houses a repair center in chicago! The guys were dicks and treated me like I was scum that I would dare accuse their products of failing. Technology is technology and by definition will have mistakes, whether factory or malfunctions, and at least apple stands behind there product with relatively nice service. Apple is not amazing and immaculate Customer Service but, it is darn sure better than anyone out there.

Just my opinion and not meant to offend you in any way!

 

[SJ27CAL]

I completely understand your frustration but we can not all expect instant gratification! I would have probably mad and it is easy for someone to judge a persons reaction as impatient if it is not happening to them. With that being said I am going to offer my opinion!

1. I have heard alot of problems and bugs exist with the graphic switching thing and also I have heard that Time Machine can get corrupted files if an error happens ect. which can cause many hiccups and failures. So yes to both of you things. I personally went with the 13", maybe irrationaly, partly because I have heard alot of bad issues with the I5 and gpu switching.

2. Take the Genius' advice! I have a friend who is in training to become one and he is on his 5th month of training and only just recently started working in the store (as a floor associate to properly learn how to deal with people and demo products) and soon will transition to shadowing other Geniuses. These people know what they are doing and are not called Geniuses for nothing!! I would suggest to, once you system is stable, wipe you TM just to be sure!

3. Compare there customer service to Best Buy's or any other store! I have had to send my toshiba back for repair hundreds of times because, in blunt terms, it is junk. Each time I have had as short of turnaround as 3 weeks (I was lucky!!) and as long as 1.5 MONTHS!!! That was with Best Buy who houses a repair center in chicago! The guys were dicks and treated me like I was scum that I would dare accuse their products of failing. Technology is technology and by definition will have mistakes, whether factory or malfunctions, and at least apple stands behind there product with relatively nice service. Apple is not amazing and immaculate Customer Service but, it is darn sure better than anyone out there.

Just my opinion and not meant to offend you in any way!

You have valid points. Not offended at all.

 

[tigress666]

Ah, nevermind

 

[owlbabu]

Hey the SAME thing happened to me. Mine had a logic board failure. So they ordered me a brand new i7. They had NO IDEA whatsoever when it would come, because apparently Apple keeps them in the dark. They order replacement laptops from a different place, not the main store where online orders come from.

I had my final exams during the time I lost that laptop. I was without a computer for about a month. I was so angry, I just asked to speak to the manager. As an olive branch, he gave me "free" merchandise. I say "free" because I had to pay for it by not having a computer for so long and going through the agony of all that garbage during final exams. Plus it took SOO long for the laptop to come.

Apple does suck when it comes to that.